A family paid tribute today to a devoted grandmother murdered in "an unbelievably shocking and cruel way" in Hornchurch. 77-year-old Rosemary Shearman was found by neighbours in Platford Green last Tuesday.

Rosemary Shearman Credit: Met Police

The family of Rosemary Shearman, said: "Our mother has been taken from us in an unbelievably shocking and cruel way. We are finding it very difficult to come to terms with her loss and the way it happened.

"She was a devoted grandmother and although she never fully recovered from the death of our father nearly five years ago, she lived a very full and busy life."

Police have appealed for witnesses after an elderly woman was murdered in her own home. Neighbours discovered the body of the victim after a taxi driver failed to get an answer when knocking on the front door.

A 50-year-old man has been arrested and is being treated in hospital with self inflicted injuries. Our Senior Correspondent Ronke Philips reports.

I would like to hear from anyone who lives in Platford Green, or the surrounding streets, who saw a man acting suspiciously in the area during Tuesday morning.

He may have been knocking on doors and trying to talk his way into peoples' houses. He is described as a white man, 6ft2ins tall, of heavy build but not muscular, wearing a navy pin stripe suit. If you saw him or spoke to him please get in touch with us.

We are keeping an open mind regarding the motivation behind this murder, but I am confident that the victim and the suspect were not known to each other.

Any witnesses are asked to contact the Incident Room and give us any information they may have on 020 7321 7228.

A pensioner killed by a stranger at her home in Hornchurch has been named locally as Rosemary Shearman. She was aged 72. Mrs Sherman's son, Greg, is believed to on his way to scene from his home in Wales. Her daughter lives in Hong Kong.